parole

¹

[puh-rohl]

noun

1. Penology.

   1. the conditional release of a person from prison prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed.

   2. such release or its duration.

   3. an official document authorizing such a release.

2. Military.

   1. the promise, usually written, of a prisoner of war, that if released they either will return to custody at a specified time or will not again take up arms against their captors.

   2. (formerly) any password given by authorized personnel in passing by a guard.

3. word of honor given or pledged.

4. (in U.S. immigration laws) the temporary admission of non-U.S. citizens into the United States for emergency reasons or on grounds considered in the public interest, as authorized by and at the discretion of the attorney general.

verb (used with object)

paroled, paroling 

1. to place or release on parole.

2. to admit (a non-U.S. citizen) into the United States for emergency reasons or on grounds considered in the public interest.

   An increased number of Hungarian refugees were paroled into the United States.

adjective

1. of or relating to parole or parolees.

   a parole record.

parole

²

[pa-rawl]

noun

French.

1. language as manifested in the actual utterances produced by speakers of a language (langue ).

parole

/ pəˈrəʊl, pəˌrəʊˈliː /

noun

1. 1. the freeing of a prisoner before his sentence has expired, on the condition that he is of good behaviour

   2. the duration of such conditional release

2. a promise given by a prisoner, as to be of good behaviour if granted liberty or partial liberty

3. a variant spelling of parol

4. military a password

5. linguistics language as manifested in the individual speech acts of particular speakers Compare langue performance competence

6. 1. conditionally released from detention

   2. informal,  (of a person) under scrutiny, esp for a recurrence of an earlier shortcoming

verb

1. to place (a person) on parole

Other Word Forms

• parolee noun
• parolable adjective
• unparolable adjective
• unparoled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French, short for parole d'honneur “word of honor”. See parol

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

C17: from Old French, from the phrase parole d'honneur word of honour; parole from Late Latin parabola speech

Example Sentences

He was arrested three times last year on suspicion of violating the terms of his parole.

From Los Angeles Times

He was recalled to prison in 2010 for having indecent child images on his computer and breaching parole conditions.

From BBC

Three decades later, Delashmutt described what happened next to a state parole board.

From Los Angeles Times

If found guilty of the murder charges, McFarlin could face the death penalty or life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

From Los Angeles Times

The disclosure of an audio recording of Erik’s parole hearing, held Thursday, tossed his older brother Lyle’s hearing into disarray the following evening.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• let out 
• liberate 
• pardon